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When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his country’s citizens, killing more than 1,400 people, including defenseless children, he crossed a line for most Americans. While there is still much consternation over whether a military response is appropriate and, if so, how we limit our exposure and don’t get sucked into another seemingly endless intervention, there seems to be some consensus that the act of gassing innocents in Syria deserves a response.

After spending two months trying to come up with a single argument that there is any reason for 10 counties in northeast Colorado to form the state of Northern Colorado, I’ve come up with a reason. It’s not particularly compelling, but it’s something. They’ve already got their state university. The university in Greeley is called the University of Northern Colorado.

By John Salazar
Later this month, Coloradans from across the state will converge on Pueblo for the 141st Colorado State Fair. While the event promises a top-notch carnival, national recording artists and entertainment galore, don’t forget the true mission of the fair is based on agriculture and education.

In an effort to reduce injuries and fatalities on Colorado roads, the Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a statewide public awareness campaign that encourages everyone to uphold their mutual responsibility to share the road.
Since 2002, Colorado has seen pedestrian fatalities increase by 9.8 percent and bicyclist deaths grow by 44 percent. More recently, Colorado experienced a 66 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities and a 63 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities from 2011 to 2012.

During the 1983 session of the Colorado General Assembly, state Rep. Arie Taylor of Denver introduced legislation to prohibit a person from holding more than one elected office at the same time. She was unhappy that Bob Crider was simultaneously serving on both the Denver City Council and the Denver Board of Education. The bill easily passed its first committee vote and appeared headed for passage in the House of Representatives when a freshman legislator from northwest Colorado, Dave Wattenberg, got up to speak.

Curbside parking of recreational vehicles and trailers has posed a problem for some Jefferson County neighborhoods in the last several months. The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for enforcing the parking ordinance. The ordinance does not prohibit the parking of recreational vehicles and trailers outright. It simply limits the amount of time such vehicles may be legally parked on the street to 28 days in a year’s time.

What a difference a congressional election cycle can make! Two years ago, before the congressional district boundaries had even been finalized, Democratic candidates were off and running in the 2012 elections for three of the four congressional seats Republicans held in Colorado. Only Doug Lamborn, from the reliably Republican 5th Congressional District that is dominated by Colorado Springs, didn’t have an announced challenger.

Oh, to be transported back to a more innocent time, just a few weeks ago, when the greatest problem with the exercise of federal power seemed (merely) to be the Internal Revenue Service’s selective targeting of a handful of political organizations. Compared to what we’ve learned since, the IRS scandal seems a passing trifle.